Reclining-chair.



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AY'PLIUATON FILED 00T. 25, 1902.

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BY I

ATTORNEY.

Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. VYLIE, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

RECLINING-CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,967, dated. October6,'1903.

Application filed October 25, 1902. Serial No. 128.766. (No model.)

T0 til/ZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM A. WYLIE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State ofIndiana,have invented new and useful Improvements in Reclining-Chairs;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and ex.

act description of the invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specication.

This invention relates to automatically-adjustable reclining-chairs, theinvention having reference more particularly to the automatic adjustabledevices for holding the chairback in various positions.

The object of the invention is to simplify the adjusting devices for thebacks and also to render them positive and noiseless in operation, aswell as cheap in -constrnction,dn rable, and economical in use.

Myinvention consists in aposition-adjuster comprising a rack-bar and agravity-adjusting brace operating in connection with the rack -bar and`an automatically operating gravity-tumbler for carrying the brace inits reversing direction clear of the rack-bar; and the inventionconsists also in the novel parts and in the combination and arrangementof parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is afragmentary vertical sectionalview longitudinally of a chair in which the back-frame is adjusted forthe reclining position; Fig. 2, a fragmentary vertical sectional Viewlongitudinally, showing the manner in which the holding devices operatewhile the chair-back is being changed from the upright to the recliningposition; Fig. 3, a view similar to that in Fig. 2, but with the backnearly in full upright position, as when held in position for use; Fig.4, a horizontal sectional view in a plane above the lower cross-rail ofthe backframe, showing the back-frame in its full vertical position andthe adjusting devices ready to carry out the reverse movements; Fig. 5,a perspective view of one of the pair of adjusting-braces for the back;Fig. 6, a perspective view of the gravity-tumbler.

In construction the main frame of the chairmay comprise suitable frontcorner-posts A A' and rear posts B B', each combining in its function aleg and also a support for an armrest, side rails C C", front and rearrailsD D', and arm-rests, as E'. The side rails are provided with ledgesF F" at the-inner sides thereof, upon which a seat-frame may besupported or upon which slats may be placed for supporting aseat-cushion. Usually the seat is stationar but obviously the frame maybe provided with a movable seat. The back-frame, as usual, includes apair of side bars G Gr and a lower cross-bar ct, secured to 'the sidebars somewhat above the lower ends thereof. Otherwise the back-frame maybe constructed, like the main frame, according to fancy. The side barsof the back-frame are pivoted, by means of hinges I I', attached to therear parts thereof near the plane of the cross-bar ct, to the rear railD',` the hinges being preferably attached vto the top of the rear rail.

Theside rails C C or similarly-situated snpporting members are providedwith station- Vary rack-bars H H', having notches, as at b and b', attheir tops, which are preferablyinclined, as indicated. f'The rack-barsare each provided with an elevated stop member d and also have each aguide e at the opposite end thereof from the stop member or at the endnearest to the back-frame. The rackbars are preferably composed of wood,or they may be metallic and may have the operative parts covered withsuch material as would not cause noises in operation.

The side bars G G of the back-frame are rprovided at or near the lowerends thereof with metallic adj ustingbraces J J', each pivoted at one ofits ends to a side bar, as by means of pivot-pins ff', cast integrallywith the bar, and clips or staples j, attached to the bars and extendingover the pins, the pivoting devices guiding the braces laterally. Eachbrace has a stop-shoulderg at one side thereof, and a cylindrical pin hprojects from the same side of the braceat or near the free end tthereof, the end fi being adapted to enter the notches in the rack-bar.Each rackbar is provided with a pivot or K', projecting from the outerside of the body portion thereof, on which is mounted a metallic grav-Iity-tumbler L or L', having a perforation k IOC near the working side Zthereof and having i also a weighted end and side m to poise the deviceon its pivot, which latter extends through the perforation 7c. In thelighter end of the tumbler is a notch n, beyond which projects afingerp. The tumblers are so poised as to normally hang nearly inupright positions on their pivots in the vertical planes correspondingto the planes at the sides of the braces from which the pins h project.

It will be obvious that the adjusting devices for the chair-back may beemployed in connection with the reclining or adjustable portions ofother articles of furniture than chairs, such as benches and similarseats and couches or the like. In some cases one set only of adjustingdevices maybe provided.

In practical use the back may be automatically adjusted to any positionwithin its range by the occupant of the chair. When the chair-back is inreclining position, the end t of the brace will engage the notch l)farthest from the seat-back, as in Fig. l. New if the top of lthechair-back be slowly moved forwardly the brace will successively dropinto all the notchesin the racl-bar and the back may be stopped at anypoint desired and may be leaned against and will be held by the braceand the rack-bar. Vhen the back is brought nearly to a verticalposition, the brace end will have reached the notch b nearest to theback of the chair, asin Fig. 3. A little further movement of thechair-back to a vertical position, with the lower ends of the frameagainst the rail D/, will cause the end t' of the brace to ride out ontothe guide c. During the mov-ement ofthe chair-back to the verticalposition the pin h will have come into contact with the side l of thetumbler and tilted the latter, the brace being the heavier, as in Fig.3. At the last movement the contact of the pin h will change from theside l to the finger p, as will be apparent by reference to Figs. 3 and4. Now if the top of the chair-back be pushed rearwardly until stoppedthe pin 7L will be pushed into thenotch n, which will be in a planeabove the plane of the pivot of the brace and that of the tumbler.Consequently the upper end of the tumbler will be pushed up and by meansof the pin in the notch n will carry the free end of the brace above andclear of the notches to the stop d, when the pin 7L will be releasedfrom contact in lthe notch n, the end t' of the brace falling gentlyintothe notch b and the tumbler gravitating to its normal position, beingstopped by the shoulder g. The above described movements and adjustmentsmay be made at will with scarcely any effort other than the changing ofpositions of the occupant of the chair.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new isl. An articleof furniture including a stationary part, an adjustable part, a rack-barsecured to the stationary part and having notches in the top thereof, afixed pivot situated intermediately of the ends of the rack-bar at aside thereof in a plane below the plane of the notches, agravity-tumbler mounted on the pivot and normally poised thereon, and amovable adjusting-brace connected to the adjustable part and extendingto the rack-bar and having a side projection engaging one side of thetumbler during movements of the brace in one direction, and engaging anend of the tumbler during reverse movements of the brace.

2. A chair including an adjustable backframe, a fixed rack-bar having anotched face, an eccentrically-pivoted tumbler having a notch thereinand a projecting finger at a side of the notch, and a movableadjusting-brace connected to the back-frame and extending to the notchedface and having a pin projecting from a side thereof in range of thefinger and the notch of the tumbler, whereby the tumbler may preventengagement of the brace with the notched face during reverse movementsof the brace.

3. A chair including an adjustable backframe, afixed rack-bar having anotched face and a guide at one end of the face, a pivoted tumblerhaving a notch in one endthereof and a projecting finger at a side ofthe notch, and an adjusting-brace pivoted to the backframe so that thefree end thereof may engage the rack-bar and the guide and having a pinprojecting from a side thereof in range of the finger and the notch ofthe tumbler, whereby the tumbler may prevent engagement of the bracewith the rack-bar during reverse movements of the brace and theback-frame.

4. An adjustable reclining-chair comprising a main frame having siderails provided with rack-bars each having a stop at one end and a guideat the other end thereof, a rear frame-rail, a back-frame pivoted to therear rail, adjusting-braces pivoted to the backframe and having each astop-shoulder and a pin at one side thereof and normally coacting with arack-bar and the stop and guide thereof, xed pivots situatedintermediately of the ends of the rack-bars, and tumhlers mounted on thefixed pivots and having each a notch and a finger adapted to be engagedby the pins of the braces whereby the free ends of the braces may becarried from the guides to the stops of the rack-bars.

5. In a chair having a main frame and pivoted back-frame, thecombination therewith, of rack-bars secured to the main frame, tumblerspivoted to the rack-bars and having weighted ends and also notches inthe opposite ends thereof, and adjusting-braces pivoted to theback-frame and coacting with the rack-bars and having pins eoacting withthe notches in the tumblers, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. WYLIE.

Witnesses:

WM. H. PAYNE, E. T. SILvIUs.

-ICOl IIO

